A large natural cavern found by the initial expedition. It has been cleared out and filled with sand. Naturally flowing hotspring pools inside the cavern keeps this cavern warm enough for dragon eggs, but also makes it very humid with all the steam from the hotspring waters.

So many eggs gone, and Ashton was sure that many of the other candidates were disappointed to still be standing. They had time, though, and so many of the babies had interacted with them, that it was easy for Ash to believe J'on had been right. They belonged here, and one of these clutches would have a dragon for them.

It didn't have to be this one.

And so many of the babies that came near Ashton had such beautiful delicate patterns: the opal and pyrite twins were both gorgeous, and Ash thought the filigreed gold on the pyrite seemed familiar. Then the second brown scattered sand and Ashton caught quite a bit in the face. His mouth had been closed, and it stayed out of his nose, but Ash was rubbing quite a bit of the sand from his eyes for the next few eggs. He barely saw the blue that climbed into the stands, but the green that followed?

Ashton itched for some fine thread to work with. She would put an overlaying shift of pale lace over a dress in that deep green on the dragonet's feet and tail. Of course, it would take ages to make. There was a reason most lace work was trim, but Ashton could IMAGINE giant works of art, even if they were profoundly impractical. Someday, her hands would move fast enough to make larger pieces.

Tag: Pahaliah

Strimian laughed as the blue made his way into the stands, "As I said, AT LEAST one," she commented, then continued giggling when she saw who the blue made his way to.

"Oh, that pair," she said to Pahaliah. "It's nice that he and his sweetheart finally stopped getting their signals crossed. I swear everyone in the Weyr knew they were gone on each other while they each pined." And now the man had a blue to match his lady's green. Obviously, he wouldn't be making any more trips away from the Weyr, and she was sure the two would be sharing a weyr as soon as he was allowed to leave the barracks.

Again, she made a note about where she could find the records for the newest weyrling, and she smiled wistfully down at the remaining three eggs. Hatchings always went by so quickly.

Before any other eggs managed to hatch, the second of the twin browns decided it was at last time to look for his. Curiously, Nali watched the beautiful brown, who found his among the candidates. Honestly, she had assumed he was going to go for the stands as well, with how long he took to really give the candidates attention. It was good that he Impressed at all though, it was rare, but sometimes dragonets didn’t find theirs.

One of the remaining eggs hatched next, revealing a deep hued blue that was stunningly blinding in how intense his shade was. Nali whistled, impressed at the color. He moved through the candidates, and then just kept going. Another stands Impression? Clearly, as he went right up into the stands and found the one for him among those that watched. This one, Nali didn’t recognize, but she did recognize the woman beside him as one of her fellows in her class. She wondered how they were going to handle this now, with him newly Impressed, as it seemed he accepted the blue, and unable to pursue the relationship they seemed to be forming. She didn’t know much about them both personally, but it was hard not to speculate.

After that blue, there seemed to be quite the lull, and even Nali was starting to get antsy waiting. Lulls this late in the hatching were the worst, even when you were just watching. You only had a tiny amount of eggs left to look at, only so many speculations left the make. She was ready to go back to Vohamanath and take a flight or something now, but she wasn’t going to leave until it was over. She didn’t think Vohamanath would want to leave either.

A third green at last hatched from the three remaining eggs, and she was stunning, marked in such a way that Nali couldn’t even think to describe. She would be beautiful when she was in flight when she was older, that was for certain, and the person who Impressed her was lucky to be chosen by such a beautiful dragon.

Now there were just two eggs left, and Nali watched them, wondering about them. She wondered, watching how much or how little they shook, and how the remaining candidates stared those two shells down.

Raevin shifted on the sands, sighing a bit, but not out of lost hope, no, not yet, mostly just with how long he felt they’d been standing there. Simply standing still on the sands and waiting never really got easier, after a while, feet got sore or too hot, and it got more and more difficult to stand still. However, he forgot all that at the next egg to hatch.

“A stunning blue,” Raevin commented out loud about the blue that hatched, his hide brilliant in a way he didn’t often see on hatchlings. Perhaps this was the one for him, he thought, wondering, only to have the answer given when the blue went through and beyond the candidates, and into the stands. That sting of jealousy returned, and for a moment, he looked down at his feet with a low huff. He couldn’t help it, he knew they didn’t choose it to happen, that people in the stands weren’t doing something to make the dragons go to them, but he still felt jealous when it happened. Why wasn’t he good enough?

He couldn’t help but contemplate this, helping the time to pass until the next egg hatched. Another green, not surprising, he thought, seeing as how few they had seen before. She was a beautiful thing, even if she had made quite a mess with her hatching. He couldn’t help but chuckle as she ran around to clean up, but did straighten up and resist the urge to step back when she came to him and Zaynallen. She expressed relief they were clean then continued on her way, leaving Raevin to chuckle again.

“Clean little thing, huh,” he said, amused at such behavior from a hatchling. But now, she found hers, and now, there were only two eggs left. Just two remained from the clutch of eleven.

“Here’s hoping,” he said to Zaynallen, hoping to give them both a last bit of hope and confidence to see through these last eggs without defeat. They still had those two eggs left, maybe… just maybe.

Things were going so fast...too fast. It was hard to know exactly where she should watch. Of course, Sigi impressing to a very handsome Pewter did not surprise her in the least. "See?! I knew you'd do it! Hopefully we'll get to meet you over there with our own soon." She said as she cheered loudly for her friend. She would have hugged her, but obviously she was more preoccupied with her new dragon.

"Maybe we'll get so lucky, eh?" She said to Raevin before returning to watch the eggs intently. One by one the eggs began to hatch and tiny, bumbling bodies came spilling forth into this new life. One by one she was left disappointed with Raevin, but at least Sigi had impressed. She knew her friends plans if she hadn't impressed this time and while it had saddened her, she knew it was better that she be the one to stand if either of them. She could wait for the next hatching.

Finally, it came down to two eggs....and too many white robe cladded candidates. She looked over at him and smiled. "I bet one is for you. If I'm right, I get to buy you your next drink as soon as you're allowed to have it."
Two eggs remained. Two lonely two eggs and many hopeful eyes that watched them hungrily. There would be many a broken and disappointed heart at the feast, but for the few that managed to impress, including those lucky souls in the stands, it would be the most tiring and happy day of their life.

Finally, one of the eggs decided it was time to come out. Why wouldn't it be time? Because of course it was. Almost before the shell cracked it seemed the mind inside was strong enough to reach out to those candidates nearest it, though words itself could not be heard. It was with a resounding pop that the shell didn't so much crack as literally pop in two. A squirming body came out with a surprised squawk before it turned into a trill of delight. Idonotbelievethisisright,butIcannotsayitisnotfuneither. A clear and confident voice said as he got his first glimpse of the world from an upside down position. Like a slinky feline rising from a nap, however, the obvious bronze managed to right himself and shake some of the sand from his brightly hued hide.

Hellothere.Whoareallofyoupeople? He asked as he noticed the white robes around him. Without warning, or permission even, he moved to some of them and immediately began to inspect them. Some of them in places they probably would prefer to not have a dragon nose. However, for all his privacy issues, this bronze proved to be a cheerful beast without fear of speaking his mind. He was not a bronze that fit in the stereotype of the arrogant bronze, but then his mind was not one that fit for just anyone.

Yousmellnice.Hi,hithere,howareyoudoing?Good?Ohwait,Iwanttocheckoutthisperson. He spoke to some, but occasionally would just move away whenever something else caught his attention. For a moment he was fascinated by one girl's blond locks, which he now happily chewed on much to her dismay. Well, it wasn't as if he had hands he could touch them with. She, of course, was not for him. Though he did thank her for letting him see her hair the color of golds' hide.

Pretty much everyone had been inspected to his satisfaction. He was a bronze, after all, it was his job to protect the weyr and the people and dragons in it. Such a duty deeply instilled since the first egg shell hatched the first dragon. Therefore, he wanted to know them all. But not even such deep curiosity could keep him from his for much longer. In a show of not impulse and bravado he simply and calmly walked over to one lad and sat at their feet.

Aglaia rubbed her arms a little longer before she forced herself to drop them to her sides. What was a person to do with their arms for this long, anyway? It was bad enough that they had to keep moving, if only to keep their feet from burning up. She rolled her shoulders, stony-faced and quiet. A glance was briefly given down the line of Candidates, but their numbers were a bit smaller - yet, far more than the eggs seemed to need.

Or not enough, if the Stands Impressions were any indication.

She tried not to think on that too much.

The next to hatch was a gorgeous green and she could feel her mask slip, just a little, to make room for some vague hope. Instead, she got a good sliming of egg goop when the glittering green gave a good shake to clean herself off.

"Ah- no. It's fine. It's fine," she murmured when the green came to help clean her off, but the slime was soon wiped away and the green was gone, leaving her with just a memory of that final paw-booping. While the green moved on, the mask was returned and she swallowed, hard, to get the rising knot out of her throat.

Two more- then one more, as a bronze hatched and wandered the line, though she was - fortunately - spared from any hair-chewing or having a nose pressed in places that dragon noses ought not go. He chose his relatively quickly.

One left.

This was a mistake, she thought and her jaw went tight.

Tag/Mention - Strimian

"Is that so?" Bits of Weyr gossip would always grab Pahaliah's ear and the artist glanced back again to get a better look at the pair in question. "That sounds rather like a lovely romantic tale - something that a Harper ought to polish up to make it truly shine," Paha mused thoughtfully. A few more strokes and the color notes and patterning were finished for that blue, just in time for another egg to hatch.

"Such magnificent coloring on that green," Pahaliah positively purred with a flicked look to Strimian, deftly switching colors to get a quick swatch together for that one. "Ah, hers is a lucky one, indeed. Sometimes- rarely, mind you, we would see such colors in the sky, far, far to the north. I've seen them once and they are... simply unforgettable."

Perhaps the artist spent a little too much time on the green - or the bronze that hatched came more quickly than anticipated. In either case, the latest hatchling was worthy of a brief gasp. "Ah! His nose! The poor fellow."

While they waited, Raevin listened to Zaynallen’s little bet and he laughed, the amusement helping to ease his tension for a moment.

“I hope you’re right then,” he chuckled. “If I Impress I’ll gladly have a drink or two to celebrate when the time comes.” He was smiling now, forgetting how those last two eggs were the last chance for this hatching, forgetting how his hope for them was dropping. There were still so many candidates, after all, and only two eggs, but luckily, he wasn’t thinking about the odds.

It was the feel of a mind, just barely brushing over his that made Raevin’s head spin back toward the eggs. No, none had hatched, but clearly one was about to, and already it was feeling out toward the candidates, at least a little. He wondered about the mental strength of the little thing, curious about it, until that audible “pop” sounded through the cavern and the shell fell away quite neatly in two places. Despite the hatchling’s hilarious position, Raevin couldn’t help his gasp and how he straightened with hope once more. He hadn’t expected one, but he had hoped, and now he hoped so much.

The bronze came over to the candidates, and again, Raevin found himself laughing, though trying to hide it, with his hand over his mouth and his shoulders shaking with little peeps of high chuckles coming through. He was trying not to laugh at his fellows’ expenses, but then again, this dragonet clearly had no concept of personal space or boundaries as he nosed and poked and sniffed the various candidates happily. He barely stopped his laughter even when the bronze took his turn to poke him with his snout. Though soon after he did wonder if he needed to go aid the poor blonde candidate who was having their hair chewed. He stopped before he could decide though, and continued his way, though suddenly, it seemed he was satisfied with his inspection of every single candidate.

And then, everything flipped.

Raevin’s laughter stopped all at once, so suddenly you’d have thought someone had given him a blow to the head and knocked him out. Perhaps a type of blow was dealt to him in that moment though as the red nosed bronze came over and sat before him. His breath stopped, his heart pounded. He wasn’t aware of the intensity of his stare, or the stiffness of his shoulders or how he clenched his fists. It all happened involuntarily as he hoped for a long moment.

Hearing his name, his new name, hit him all at once. Impression had clearly been made as Raevin… As R’vin’s knees buckled and he fell to the sands, staring at the thing he had wanted most right before him now, wanting him. Then he heard it.

”That's my boy!”

He recognized the voice, and he felt how much his father was probably proud of him, but in that moment of the loud cheer for his son, R’vin felt so much more than he ever had, that his father supported him, believed in him, and saw him for who he truly was. Just like this bronze before him did.

R’vin cried, he couldn’t help it, it wasn’t becoming of a young man Impressing a bronze of all colors. He knew he should hold his head high, his chest out, and walk with confidence and pride to feed his newly bonded dragon. But for him, this was so much more. Sure, Impressing was something one couldn’t hope to understand unless they experienced it, but for R’vin it was about more than just Impressing. He truly was who and what he believed, and the bronze before him proved that so that no one could refute it ever again. R’vin was the man he was born to be, and Rudoth saw that, and never would question it.

R’vin nodded, wiping his eyes to clear his vision to see that beautiful red nose in front of him. Rudoth poked him with his snout before trying to pull him up with his robe by his teeth. R’vin gave a watery laugh as he stood up.

“Ok, we’ll get food.” Then he looked to Zaynallen, gave him a smile and a nod. “Good luck,” he told her, before going off with his dragon. However, before fully exiting, R’vin stopped, looked toward the stands with a strong stance, and called to them all.

”His name is Rudoth!”
Of course, there was one egg left, quite the similar size to the one that had just hatched the bronze, leading to renewed curiosity. Another bronze perhaps? No way, they were so rare for a clutch like this, one was a surprise as it was. Perhaps a large brown? Or probably another set of opal-pyrite twins. So much speculation was being tossed about over this final egg, and so much was riding on it for the last of those on the sands. However, this egg had also moved very little for the last half of the hatching, and people sat and wondered… was it a dead egg?

Several minutes lapsed, it likely feeling like an eternity for the candidates. People shifted uncomfortably, both in the sands and stands. But then…

All at once, with little warning, cracks formed, and then, a head burst out, as if breaking the surface of water as the hatchling made an audible gasp of their first breath of air. It was almost as if she hadn’t been able to break her shell before that moment, and had been holding her breath. Yes, her, everyone in the stands and least was surprised by the brilliant red hide coloring this babe’s head and neck. One bronze, sure, but a bronze, and a Garnet?

With a shake of her wings, she burst half of her shell away, sending a spray of shells around her in a magnificent arch. She was able to escape her shell, crumbling the rest of it beneath her feet as she worked to get them beneath her. A few shards stuck to her legs and body once she was standing, but she didn’t seem to notice them as she looked around herself.

AmIthelast?Wow!Ididn'tthinkIwassoslow!I'llhavetofixthatinthefuture,Ican'talwaysbethelastofmysiblings. She stretched her wings one at a time as she said this before returning them to the more neutral position newborn hatchlings often found for their wings.

Oooh,youalllooklovelyoverthere,inthatpuddleofwhite. She observed of the remaining candidates, taking her first true shaky steps toward them, immediately captivated by the group before her. Sodifferent,butsolovely.Ohlookatallofyou,ifonlyIcouldtakeyouall.

She rubbed up against one of the girls in that moment, like a feline against its favorite person’s legs, but she didn’t stop at that candidate, continuing forward. However,thereisonlyoneforme.Ifeelher,ohsoperfectandwaiting.Ohmylove,Iamhereforyounow.

She waddled up to the candidate in question, her eyes whirling with happiness and love between the red of hatchling hunger. She gave a funny sounding hatchling’s attempt at a croon as she met face to face the one that needed her most.

Settled among the other weyrlings, Sig'ryn fed Kalumith, and marvelled all the while at the glistening silver hide. He ate with such a ferocity that left the runner stunned, for never had she imagined such a creature to feel such hunger. It churned within her own gut, up to the moment when Kalumith licked the bucket clean and curled at her side with a head in her lap.

That was just right, the pewter rumbled into his rider's thoughts.

"Better have. Ye scarfed the whole fuckin' thin'." Naturally, the remark was spoken affectionately. How could Sig'ryn be upset at his gluttonous ways? He was a grown bonnie lad after all.

But the runner still held onto the hope of Impression for her friends. Even as Kalumith drifted off, Sig'ryn continued to watch the events of the hatching unfold, up to the moment when Raevin Impressed to the only bronze of the entire fucking clutch.

A whoop was let out by the newly Impressed. It did not take her long to realise R'vin's vile oppressors stood not far from the weyrling shelter, thus she called out to the two stunned lads. "Oye!"

They both whipped around to regard her as R'vin walked for the shelter.

Once she was certain she had their attention, Sig'ryn gave then a long stiff middle finger. That would show them both. R'vin was more a man than they would ever be. The Impression was proof of that. Now they could go piss off!

"Congrats, me lad!" she called to the newly Impressed bronzerider as he arrived.

But he was not the only one to find his bonded. When the last egg broke to reveal a garnet, Sig'ryn grinned at the sight of it. Such a pretty girl, and after she tormented a few of the lassies with a possibility of Impression, it was Zaynallen she finally chose. "Well fuck Faranth! Raevin, look at that. Looks like we all get tae be rider taegether now." A glance was spared to Kalumith, who remained nearly undisturbed by all of the ruckus she caused. It was enough to earn him several loving scratches.

It felt like the perfect end to a perfect hatching.

tag - Allaster | Sianca

Before Allaster ever made it to them, the brown found him instead, leaving Angela stunned by the bond, especially when the brown reached out to speak to her. She should not have been surprised. It always seemed that dragons loved her enough to speak to, but never enough to Impress to. Though it pained her slightly, for the brown was truly a lovely creature, she still managed a smile for Allaster.

"Hello. Thanks for directing me over here, but I guess we have to head to the food."

"Yeah, of course," she answered with a smile that never did quite reach her eyes. "Congratulations." He deserved it, though part of her heart ached at the fact she had to say it rather than hear it for herself.

But she still had Sianca.

Looking up to the girl, Angela managed a tearful smile for her friend, but she said nothing as she looked back to the eggs, watching them hatch one by one, Impress one by one, until the final dragon, a gorgeous garnet, Impressed to her old instructor, Zaynallen.

It hurt nearly as much as the first hatching, but at least this time the edges did not dig in as deep. Turning to Sianca, she hugged the girl, letting several sniffles escape her before she stepped back. "Sorry, it still hurts. And I'm sorry you didn't Impress too... but... I can say it's a little easier not being alone this time..." And that was the Faranth honest truth.

“I hope you’re right then,” he chuckled. “If I Impress I’ll gladly have a drink or two to celebrate when the time comes.”

"I'll one up you then. If neither of us impress this hatching then I say we break that particular rule and enjoy copious amounts of alcohol tonight to drown our sorrow in." She suggested with a chuckle. Honestly, the odds were against both of them, but then again only Faranth knew what was going to happen.

One of the last two eggs hatched a comical scene of a bronze laying upside down on his back. He was simply a little darling, even if he was a bit too nosy...in the literal sense. She couldn't help but laugh as he came to inspect her nosed her right in the backside. That caused him a goodnatured swat aside. The suspense was killing her. Who was he going to pick? A look was spared to Raevin and she mentally wished that the bronze would take the biggest notice in him. She didn't care about herself, Raevin would be a great bronzerider. Please, oh please... She said to herself.

Then it happened. A lump formed in her throat and tears stung her eyes as she watched her dear friend buckle to the ground in front of the bronze. "You did it Raevin! You did it! I knew you would!" She knew how much this meant to him. What validation it was. She heard the call from the crowd, surely her friend's father, and that only caused her tear up more. Hands covered her mouth or occasionally wiped away the happy tears. "He's absolutely perfect Raevin. I'm so happy for you." She told him before he wished her good luck and then walked with his bronze, Rudoth, towards the feeding area.

However, not even the extreme happiness of seeing such an overpoweringly emotional pairing could keep the worry from her heart for long. There was one egg left...it was possible, but not probable. Zayna had been fine before with the idea of standing, but now with her two closest friend impressed with their own dragons...well, it made her throat clench up again but not out of happiness. Then, finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the last egg hatched.

And her heart sank....while she was the most beautiful of garnets, Zayna knew that she wasn't for her. Garnets only impressed to females. She...well she was...but...she wasn't. Fresh tears fell down her cheeks as she looked down at the burning sands and arms wrapped around to hug herself. Part of her was tempted to start walking off the sands then, but sorrow kept her feet glued. A wave of loathing for herself and the body she was born with hit her like a ton of bricks. Didn't matter that her friend, in a similar situation, had just proven who he knew he was. She was not the same, she was both, and there was no way this lovely dragonet would want her.

Confusion swept over Zayna as surely as a deeper love than she had ever known in her life. Slowly she looked up into those rainbow colored eyes. "You want...me? But...but...I'm not..."

Nainenth crooned and nuzzled against her lovingly. Zayna didn't have to finish her sentence, she knew what she was saying in her heart. Whatyouare...andtheonlythingthatmatters...istheperfectoneforme.Iloveyou,Zaynallen,allofyou.Absolutelynothingisevergoingtochangethat. The garnet stated tenderly and confidently. Zayna could only throw her arms around the garnet's neck. Exceptmaybeifyoudon'tfeedmesoon.Shallwe? She stated teasingly and playfully which pulled a chuckle from her rider.

Yes, yes, of course. Let's get you fed. Zayna said as she dried her tears and began to lead Nainenth towards with others. She waved estatically to her friends. They would get to be together after all.